MRS. VAN HOOSEN SACRIFICES HER DAUGHTER TO HER AMBITION.
When Lena Van Hoosen recovered her senses she found herself in the
outer room which she had just entered. Her maid Fifine was engaged in
bathing her forehead with Florida water and fanning her face.
"Where am I?" she gasped.
"In the house of the clairvoyant, ma'm'selle," answered Fifine.
"Where is Madame Levine?"
"Gone. She took the medium away, and they went out together."
"Oh! why did you bring me here?" said Lena, wringing her hands
piteously.
"Ma'm'selle wished to know whom she would marry, and it seems to me
that the English suitor is rich and handsome."
"Be silent."
Fifine shrugged her shoulders.
"For my part, I wish he would love me well enough to marry me," she
continued.
"You are impertinent. Let us go home," replied her mistress.
Just as she had arranged her shawl and was about to take her departure,
Madame Levine entered the apartment.
"Are you satisfied?" she inquired.
"I am bewildered. I know not what to think," answered Lena.
"Oh! as for that, you can always rely upon the predictions of the
medium, who is really remarkable."
"But she told me I should marry the man I hate."
"Then it will be so."
"Can you explain how she came to have the portrait of Lord Maltravers
in her locket?" asked Lena.
"That is a mysterious locket," said Mme. Levine; "in ordinary times it
is perfectly blank. When the medium wishes to think of any particular
individual, the face is represented on the glass."
Lena smiled, incredulously.
"I cannot believe that," she said.
The madame touched a small bell, and its silvery cadence had scarcely
died away when the servant attached to the house entered.
"Bring down Adéle," she exclaimed.
The domestic bowed and departed.
"Oh!" said Lena, under her breath. "Her name is Adéle."
Presently Adéle Bellefontaine, pale and delicate, entered the room,
with an absent air.
She did not seem to notice any one.
"Child," exclaimed Madame Levine.
Adéle started and pressed her hand to her head as if in pain.
It was clear that the clairvoyant possessed a strange influence over
her.
"You called me," she replied.
"I did. Show that lady your locket."
Adéle walked with a childish manner and offered the locket to Lena,
who, with trembling fingers, opened it.
A cry of astonishment escaped her, for the surface of the locket was
perfectly plain.
"There is nothing there," she said.
"Is not that precisely what I told you?" replied Mme. Levine.
Like one in a dream Lena put her hand on her head, shuddered, and
quitted the house.
"How beautiful she is!" she muttered, thinking of Adéle.
She was completely mystified, for it did not occur to her that the
madame, seeing the peculiar effect the portrait in the locket had
upon her, had taken the precaution to remove it while she was lying
senseless in the adjoining room.
Lena reached home a short time before her mother returned from the
opera, and waited in the drawing-room to receive her.
Mrs. Van Hoosen did not come back alone.
She was accompanied by Lord Maltravers.
"You look _distraite_, my dear," said Mrs. Van Hoosen. "I hope your
head is better?"
"A little, mamma," replied Lena, flushing, as she extended her hand to
Maltravers, adding, "How do you do? it is some time since we met."
"Yes, indeed. It seems an age to me."
"Did you like the opera, mamma?"
"I cannot say I did. It was Lohengrin. Wagner may have his admirers,
but for my part I do not care for the music of the future."
Saying this, Mrs. Van Hoosen retired to take off her bonnet and left
the young people together.
Lena sat on the sofa, and toyed with a fan.
"I hope you do not consider my presence an intrusion, Miss Van Hoosen,"
exclaimed Maltravers.
"Oh, no; any friend of my mother's is welcome to me," she answered.
"Is not your reception a little cold?"
"Not that I am aware of."
He left the chair in which he was sitting, and ventured to take a seat
by her side on the sofa.
Lena moved away, and pulled up the skirts of her dress as if she were
afraid of his touching them.
"May I take this opportunity of telling you how dear you are to me?" he
said.
"I have heard that before, my lord," she replied.
"Lena--let me call you Lena--I love you madly, passionately, and I
offer you my hand, my heart, my coronet and my fortune."
"I wish to remain single," she answered.
"It is your mother's wish that you should marry me. We have had a
conversation about it."
"Lord Maltravers," replied Lena, "I can never love you. Would you take
the hand, where the heart can never be?"
"Oh, yes. If I can only call you mine, I will teach you to love me;
believe me, dearest, love will come in time."
"Never!"
"Is it possible that you love another?"
Lena looked up indignantly, almost angrily.
"You have no right to pry into the secrets of my heart," she replied.
"I know how it is," said Maltravers, bitterly, "you love that fellow,
Harkaway."
"Suppose I do care for Mr. Harkaway--what then?"
"You shall never be his."
"Allow me to ask you a question, my lord," she exclaimed. "Have you
never loved before?"
"Never, until I saw you."
"Who is Adéle?"
At this question he turned pale, and it was only by the exercise of a
great effort that he mastered his emotion.
She saw him change color and gnaw his nether lip and drew her own
conclusions.
"I do not know any one of that name," he replied. "What induces you to
ask me?"
"Never mind. Perhaps it was a silly fancy of mine."
"Once more; will you be mine?" he urged.
"Give me time to think."
"I want your answer now."
"You shall have it in a week. I cannot talk further, now," replied
Lena. "Pardon me if I leave you."
Lord Maltravers took up his hat.
"I shall not intrude further upon you; in a week I shall call for your
answer. Please say good-night to your mother for me," he exclaimed.
Seizing her hand he raised it to his lips and imprinted a passionate
kiss upon it.
As he left the room he added, under his breath: "She shall yet be mine,
in spite of every thing."
Scarcely had she drawn a sigh of relief at his welcome absence than her
mother entered.
There were tears in Lena's eyes, and she was pale and tremulous.
"Where is Lord Maltravers?" asked Mrs. Van Hoosen.
"He has gone."
"I hope, my child, you have not offended him."
"No," said Lena, laconically.
"Did he talk to you on a delicate subject?"
"He did."
"That is right. I gave him permission to do so. What answer did you
give him when he asked you to become his wife?"
"I told him he should have my answer in a week, and I gave him to
understand that I could never love him."
"I am sorry for that, for I have set my heart on your marrying that
man. You must become Lady Maltravers or I will disown you. Girls do not
know what's good for them."
"Pity me, mamma," cried Lena.
"I will not; pity would be wasted on so silly a girl. Think of the
brilliant match I have arranged for you! There are very few young
ladies who would refuse Lord Maltravers with his ancient lineage, fine
form and splendid income."
"I do not love him."
"Pshaw! People do not marry for love nowadays. Accept his lordship in a
week or prepare to leave my house forever."
"I will obey you, mamma," replied Lena.
Mrs. Van Hoosen bent over and kissed her affectionately.
"That is my own dear girl," she said. "I am content now, and to-morrow
I will arrange for your wedding outfit."
That night Lena cried herself to sleep, for she had allowed her mother
to sacrifice her to her ambition.
Jack Harkaway was lost to her forever and she could never know what
happiness was again.
The week passed, Lord Maltravers called, and was coldly but formally
accepted by Lena.
It was settled that the marriage should take place in a month, and the
papers contained the following announcement:
"ENGAGED.--Lena Van Hoosen, daughter of the late Cornelius Van
Hoosen, to Lord Maltravers of the peerage of Great Britain."
This to all appearance sealed her fate.